A gripping event unfolded in Washington, D.C. over the weekend. Picture this: a massive gathering of anti-Israel protesters took to Lafayette Park, right next to the White House, demanding an end to military aid to Israel and calling for a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The scene was intense. Reporter Julio Rosas captured the moment when the atmosphere turned heated. As chants of “You have to leave” echoed through the park, they soon escalated into “F*** the police.” Demonstrators began trailing law enforcement officers, driving them out of the park.
Anti-Israel protesters formed a mob and chased US Park Police and Secret Service out of Lafayette Square after officers apparently tried to arrest someone. Police are no longer inside the park and are on the boundaries of the protest: “F*ck the police!” pic.twitter.com/N5EctSe8Ya
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) June 8, 2024
Rosas reported that US Park Police and Secret Service officers attempted to make an arrest but were quickly overwhelmed by the crowd. Protesters surrounded the officers, chanting, “Let her go!” and a struggle ensued. Officers used mace in an attempt to control the situation, but the protesters persisted. In a rare twist, the individual who had been cuffed managed to walk away unarrested, leaving onlookers cheering.
Ford Fischer, editor-in-chief of News2Share, provided further details. He documented the moment when police tried to detain someone, only to be met with fierce resistance from the crowd. The tension was palpable as mace was deployed, yet the arrestee somehow evaded custody.
Anti-Israel protesters formed a mob and chased US Park Police and Secret Service out of Lafayette Square after officers apparently tried to arrest someone. Police are no longer inside the park and are on the boundaries of the protest: “F*ck the police!” pic.twitter.com/N5EctSe8Ya
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) June 8, 2024
The park was filled with symbols of support for Palestinians. Flags and banners were everywhere, and some protesters even climbed statues, defacing them with graffiti and setting off a red smoke bomb. Oliya Scootercaster from Freedom News TV showed footage of protesters chanting “F*** you fascist” and throwing objects at a park ranger.
One particularly dramatic moment included a protester holding a bloody-looking Biden face mask and another burning a small American flag. These actions, captured on video and shared widely on social media, painted a vivid picture of the protest’s intensity.
DC: Protester holds up a bloody mask depicting President Joe Biden. Another protester burns American flag behind him as statue is sprayed with “FJB” outside of the White House during Pro-palestine protest.
Video by @yyeeaahhhboiii2 [email protected] to license pic.twitter.com/viHOfVToDq
— Oliya Scootercaster 🛴 (@ScooterCasterNY) June 8, 2024
Senator Tom Cotton didn’t hold back in his response. He condemned the protesters and called for a federal crackdown similar to the response to the January 6th Capitol breach. He labeled the protesters’ actions a blatant violation of federal law and urged the Department of Justice to take swift action.
“Anti-American, pro-Hamas thugs desecrated the statues of our veterans literally across the street from the White House, a blatant violation of federal law. On video,” Cotton said on X. “I expect the Department of Justice to use every technique against them that it used against grandmas in MAGA hats.”
Anti-American, pro-Hamas thugs desecrated the statues of our veterans literally across the street from the White House, a blatant violation of federal law. On video. I expect the Department of Justice to use every technique against them that it used against grandmas in MAGA hats… pic.twitter.com/0eSYzgNjmD
— Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) June 9, 2024
While all this unfolded, President Biden was not in the White House. He was in France, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion during World War II.
